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Two separate day courses on Saturday 3rd August and Sunday 4th August. Gardening is often made to sound more complicated than it is, especially with regard to feeding plants and coping with weeds. I will empower you with understandings of methods which you can then adapt to your own garden. Day Course Curriculum Getting started – clearing grass and weeds by mulching rather than digging. Making soil clean of weeds – a prerequisite to having time for creative work. Different composts and manures - when and how to use them for best results. Different ways of making compost - what ingredients work best. Sowing and propagation – directly in modules, pricked out, or into surface compost. Seasonality and timing of sowing for strong, healthy, growth. Energy influencers - the moon, biodynamic preparations, copper tools. Uses of fleece and mesh to speed growth and protect from pests. Reducing slug numbers, protecting crops from other pests. How and when to pick crops for healthier, long lived plants. Advice on polytunnels – size to use, orientation, and what to grow in them. Light refreshments and a lunch with produce from the market garden will be served also on the day.

In July Charles welcomed Gaz Oakley to Homeacres for a third time, to collaborate on YouTube films. Gaz is a renowned chef and YouTube creator, who came to know Charles's work when he moved out of London to be at home in Wales, and as self sufficient as possible from growing his own vegetables. After a fantastic day of filming, eating and checking on growth in the garden, an idea struck both Gaz and Charles to offer a combined course day. For those of you who would like to learn all about no dig growing and then how to prepare and preserve your home grown food then this is for you. In the morning, Charles will take you through all the reasons why no dig is good for abundant healthy harvests. After a delicious lunch of Homeacre vegetables, Gaz will introduce you to basic knife skills, a lacto-fermentation recipe (sauerkraut) and a simple kimchi along with a surprise recipe demo. The day begins at 10am and finishes at 4pm. Lunch is included in the price.

Meet Charles at this annual and popular open day event. See the Homeacres no dig gardens, full of many different vegetables and flowers. There will be signage by different beds, trial beds and and the different compost heaps and bays. Have a look at what's growing in the polytunnel and greenhouse. The small garden and the bed by the shed show what is possible in smaller gardens.

Charles will give a presentation all about the wonderful world of composting, followed by a book signing. Published by Dorling Kindersley on 5th September. This book looks behind the many myths and misconceptions about composting. Charles empowers you with sound understandings of how the process works. He explain quick and easy ways to produce a high quality product that’s easy to use, isn’t full of weed seeds, and brings wonderful benefits to soil and plants alike. This is an evening event and will be held at The Grosvenor Arms in the center of Shaftsbury. The event will be posted on the event pages of FOLDE's website.

Charles will be speaking to organic growers from across the UK. They will be coming for a weekend of practical talks, workshops, discussions, skill sharing and networking. As well as a fine growers knees up that celebrates the organic movement. If you would like to come along please book your spot via their website.

I look forward to returning to the wonderful Toppings Book Shop in Bath to talk about an essential part of no dig, composting. I want you to be creative, and avoid unnecessary work and complications. This book looks behind the many myths and misconceptions about composting. I empower you with sound understandings of how the process works. I explain quick and easy ways to produce a high quality product that’s easy to use, isn’t full of weed seeds, and brings wonderful benefits to soil and plants alike.

A full day of learning at Fred's garden. We go through all the major principles of no dig, propagation, multi-sowing, watering, pests and protection and we also look at Fred's compost set up. Lunch is included as well as tea and coffee. We start the workshop at 10am and finish at 3pm.

I will be speaking all about the wonderful world of compost at an evening talk in Edinburgh organised by Toppings book shop. I want you to be creative, and avoid unnecessary work and complications. This book looks behind the many myths and misconceptions about composting. I empower you with sound understandings of how the process works. I explain quick and easy ways to produce a high quality product that’s easy to use, isn’t full of weed seeds, and brings wonderful benefits to soil and plants alike.

There are many speakers at this event which runs from 27th to 29th September. Charles's talk is on 27th and he'll focus on no dig growing, others will be speaking about permaculture and farming. The summit includes topics such as private and decentralized digital tech, community organizing tools, sociocracy, alternative economic systems and homeschooling.

Charles is visiting the beautiful Casa Clelia in Sotto il Monte and will be giving a workshop all about no dig. In the morning Charles will talk through his presentation on no dig giving illustrations from his garden at Homeacres. To follow will be a delicious lunch made by the staff at Casa Clelia. The afternoon will involve a practical element and tour of the gardens. Alex and Eleonora are hosting this event. Alex says "My wife Eleonora and I moved to Italy five years ago to take over her family business which is an agriturismo, Casa Clelia. We have a restaurant and 9 rooms for guests. The farm provides nearly all of the food for the restaurant and we are always looking at ways to increase production to hopefully sell products directly to clients. We have set up the first towerfarm in Italy too and are enjoying fantastic results. We produce beef, lamb, chicken, fruits, vegetables, wine, honey and marmalades. We have here in Italy the largest farmers union in Europe, the Coldiretti. Eleonora Is working with them at a national level now to market agricultural tourism globally and is the regional president representing all of the agriturismos in Lombardia. There is thankfully a large movement towards regenerative agriculture and we are very excited to be part of it." For further information and to book your spot please use the contact page of their website.

I invite you to a no dig day course all about how to grow abundant and healthy vegetables using this time- and soil-saving method. The focus of the day is how to grow and how to get a vegetable bed started. As a group, we'll make a no dig bed on the day. Before that I shall give a slideshow to explain the background, and methods I recommend. Ticket price is €165 for early birds and €185 thereafter.

I invite you to a no dig day course all about how to grow abundant and healthy vegetables using this time- and soil-saving method. The focus of the day is how to grow and how to get a vegetable bed started. As a group, we'll make a no dig bed on the day. Before that I shall give a slideshow to explain the background, and methods I recommend. Ticket price is €165 for early birds and €185 thereafter.

It's a celebration! Not only for this beautiful method of growing, but for our growing community. This is the third No Dig Day and I'll be gathering my team for a delicious lunch, our tradition now is that everyone brings a dish. I want to encourage you to invite friends over, show them your garden and eat healthy home grown veg. There will be competitions to enter and other activities which we will give details of soon. Start planning your no dig celebration! The book your spot button takes you to our website page that features events from No Dig Day 2023. Check it out for some ideas of what you could do. We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you are up to on the day by email ing Nicola at admin@charlesdowding.co.uk